PART 3: THE ART OF WAR

A/N: The references on Colin and Ginny here are taken from the excellent Draco fic called "The More is My Unrest", written by Jedi Boadicea and Arabella. I highly recommend it!

PART 3: THE ART OF WAR

The Slytherins clapped and cheered as Harry walked shakily into the class. Behind him, the other Gryffindors entered. Dean, Seamus, and Neville wore identical expressions of open-mouthed shock. Lavender and Parvati suppressed silent giggles while Hermione whispered an astonished "Oh my God!" Ron, however, looked livid. Harry and Ron both whipped out their wands and pointed it at Malfoy's throat. Malfoy didn't seem fazed at all.

"Like our artwork, Potter? Took us days to master it, you know, sneaking into the Restricted Section of the library, looking up enchantments. I was beginning to feel like that Mudblood bookworm," he said, nodding towards Hermione, who narrowed her eyes at him. Harry was too stunned for words. He was racking his brain for a curse to use on Malfoy, and just as he was about to utter a spell that will permanently transfigure Malfoy into a ferret, the dungeon door closed with a bang. The class fell silent at once, and Malfoy dropped his trademark sneer and tried instantly to look innocent. Ron and Harry whipped around, wands still pointed at Malfoy. Professor Snape was standing by the door with a murderous look on his face.

"Is this your idea of a joke, Potter?" he said menacingly.

Harry's guts wrenched. He had no idea where to start, and even if he protested, there was no way Snape would believe him.

"This was Malfoy's doing, Professor," Ron said, trying to keep calm in his voice.

"Liar!" Snape exclaimed vehemently. "You and Potter have your wands pointed at Mr. Malfoy, and you expect me to believe that this is his fault?"

Malfoy exaggerated his pout and looked helplessly at Snape. Ron's nostrils were flaring, and his ears turned a brilliant shade of red. Harry's hand shook. It took him every ounce of strength he had not to curse Snape into a thousand pieces right then and there.

Snape advanced on them, his expression growing more dangerous with each step he took. "Fifty points each from Gryffindor!" he barked. "And a week's worth of detentions for the both of you!" All the Gryffindors gasped in horror, while the Slytherins had a look of triumph and satisfaction in their eyes. Snape uttered a spell and the sign on the blackboard disappeared; the enchanted bubbles dropping from the ceiling gradually stopped. "Sit down!" Snape barked at them. Harry and Ron dejectedly made their way to an empty desk. Both of them threw their bags with a loud 'bang' on the desk, took out their chairs violently and sat in it, and made a tremendous amount of noise as they took out their cauldrons and potions ingredients, pointedly slamming each item on the desk.

"Is there anything you're trying to prove, Potter? Weasley?" Sanpe said to them. "If not, then I suggest you do your work quietly, or I would gladly take another fifty points each from Gryffindor." Harry and Ron reluctantly did their work in silence.

During class, while Snape had his back turned, Malfoy kept stealing glances at Harry, flashing him a smirk, which got nastier with each glance he made. Harry did his best not to retaliate, and had to hold Ron back a number of times to stop him hurling his potions ingredients at Malfoy.

When the class was busy measuring their powdered rats' tails, Malfoy took the opportunity to whip out his wand and blast Harry's cauldron into pieces, sending boiling Worthair essence all over the walls and floors of the dungeon. Harry had had enough. He whipped out his wand, but unfortunately for him, Snape turned around at that exact same moment.

"Potter!" he bellowed. When Snape opened his mouth a stray love-heart bubble floated from the ceiling and popped on the end of his hooked nose. This amplified Snape's rage even more. "I've had enough of your idiocy! One hundred points from Gryffindor and another weeks' worth of detentions!" Harry felt surreal. Two hundred points lost in one day! Snape's usually pale skin was burning, and his eyes were flashing. "And if I see any more of those blasted bubbles, I will have you expelled!"

*

Harry, Ron and Hermione left Potions that morning more angrier than they had ever been. Hermione was fuming. "Did you see the way he was looking at Harry?" she said with contempt. "Expelling him for something he didn't even do! And what's his problem anyway? They're only love-hearts!"

"He needs to get laid, that's his problem," Ron said through clenched teeth, and with just as much contempt. "I wonder how long it's been for him."

"Ron!" Hermione said, scolding him. "Don't talk dirty!"

"It's true," Ron insisted angrily. "I mean, who in their right mind would go for him? No wonder he's so bitter."

"I cannot believe we're having this conversation, Ron!" Hermione hissed.

"Would you two just quit it?" Harry interrupted impatiently. After the morning he's had, the last thing he wanted was to listen to Ron and Hermione bicker, or discuss Snape's sex life. Ron and Hermione fell silent at once.

The three of them made their way to Transfiguration. As they neared the classroom, they heard muffled laughter coming from inside. Pansy Parkinson and her gang walked past Harry and said, "Another surprise waiting for you, Potter!" and she giggled like a maniac. Hermione turned to her and said, "Another brilliant joke of Malfoy's, is it? You know, those love-hearts were quite pretty," she said sarcastically. Pansy turned her pug-like face in Hermione's direction and said in a superior tone, "Just wait and see! Malfoy had it all programmed to the time you start your classes!" And she walked off, followed by her gang, who all erupted into a fit of giggles.

When Harry opened the door to Transfiguration, he found half the class already sitting in their desks, facing the board and sniggering.

"Harry, look! There it is again!" Dean said to him, pointing at the board. Once again, the words Harry Potter loves Ginny Weasley scrawled in giant, colorful letters were flashing on the board. This time though, a cartoon drawing of Harry and Ginny's face flashed on either side of it. The cartoon faces had bulging love-hearts for eyes. Multi-colored heart-shaped bubbles fell from the ceiling and showered the class. Harry's face was positively burning.

"What on earth…?" A stern voice said behind them. The color disappeared from Harry's face. It was McGonagall. Harry, Ron and Hermione quickly moved away from her, as she advanced into the room. "What is the meaning of this?" she said in a shrill voice.

"It wasn't us, Professor! It was Malfoy!" Hermione said, stepping forward.

"Yeah, he did it in Potions as well, Professor!" Ron added.

McGonagall regarded them for a moment, and then said, "I will see Professor Snape about this. If what you say is true, rest assured, Mr. Malfoy will get detention for it." She waved her wand casually, and the writing and the bubbles disappeared. "How childish, really!" she muttered under her breath. She glared at the class, and the giggles stopped at once. She barked at them all to get their quills and parchment out, and proceeded with the lesson. Harry had never been embarrassed in his life. He hardly paid attention to anything McGonagall said. It was as if someone had placed a blanket over his head – he saw nothing and heard nothing. All he was aware of was the anger building up inside him, and he thought of nothing but getting back at Malfoy.

*

Harry walked like a zombie out of Transfiguration, Ron and Hermione close to him, looking at him nervously.

"Are you alright, Harry?" Hermione asked timidly. Harry didn't reply, but suddenly made a detour and headed straight for the library.

"Where're we going?" Ron asked nervously.

"To the library," Harry muttered. "I'm gonna practice the Cruciatus Curse." Ron and Hermione grabbed both his arms and pinned him against the wall.

"Harry, that's not funny," Hermione said, with fear in her eyes.

"Who said I was joking?" Harry said flatly.

"Look, Harry, Malfoy's the biggest git on the face of the earth –"

"Damn right he is."

" – But don't let him get to you!" Ron said.

"Shouldn't you be saying that to yourself, Ron? You're the one who can't practice self-control when he's around!" Ron looked slightly hurt, and Harry instantly regretted what he said.

"Sorry," he muttered quietly. "What I mean is…it's easier said than done."

"It's alright. I know," Ron replied, shrugging.

"Harry, Malfoy did that to tick you off! And if you do something rash, you're playing right into his trap!" Hermione said desperately.

"Yeah, Harry. I reckon Malfoy wants to get you angry enough so you can do something stupid and get expelled," Ron said seriously.

"Exactly!" Hermione finished.

"So what do you want me to do? Stand back and watch Malfoy humiliate me?"

"No, Harry – " Hermione said, starting to get frustrated.

" – Because that's what you're asking me to do!" Harry interrupted angrily.

"Harry, don't you see? This is a tactical war!" Hermione said. "If you want to get back at him, don't do it with wands and hexes. Do it the Malfoy way," she finished dramatically. Ron's eyes widened.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, confused.

"She means play it his way, Harry!" Ron said excitedly. Harry had no idea what they were on about.

"How?" He asked blankly.

"Remember what Fred and George said? About coming to them if Malfoy gives us trouble?" Sudden understanding hit Harry, as if a light bulb had been lit in his head. A smile slowly spread across his face.

"Yes," he breathed. "You're right, Ron!"

*

Fred and George were not at lunch, however. Harry had to endure a table full of Slytherins pointing and laughing at him. By now, practically the whole school had heard about the enchanted blackboards, and Harry had to practice an enormous amount of willpower to ignore the smiles and the maniacal giggles that came his way. Thankfully, the Ravenclaws and the Hufflepuffs never gave him much trouble. The most they did was smile and exclaim, "How cute!" and "Aww, isn't it sweet?"

The Gryffindors were sympathetic, and encouraged Harry and Ginny to ignore the Slytherins. Lee Jordan leaned over the table and said to Harry, "Don't worry about it, Harry. They're just jealous because they're a bunch of ugly dunderheads who can't get a date on a Saturday night!"

"Or any night!" Seamus added.

Everyone around them laughed, and Harry felt slightly better. Across from him sat Ginny, who looked very pale and withdrawn. She had not said anything since learning about the blackboard incident. Hermione sat down next to her to pat her arm and console her. When Ginny caught Harry's eye, he gave her a sympathetic smile and said, "You OK?" Ginny nodded and blushed scarlet. She didn't make eye contact with Harry anymore after that.

When lunch finished and everybody were moving out into the Entrance Hall, Malfoy walked up to Harry and Ginny, and said in a loud voice for everyone to hear, "Weasley attacked me last night. He reckons I faked a love letter from Ginny and addressed it to Harry." Malfoy turned his face to Harry, eyes narrowed. "But why would I do that, eh? I've got better things to do with my time, don't I, Potter?" he said sarcastically. Some people in the Entrance Hall stopped walking to listen. A few people giggled behind their hands. Pansy Parkinson stood next to Malfoy and said to Ginny in an even louder voice, "Bet you wrote it didn't you, Weasley?" Ginny dropped her books with a loud bang on the floor. Harry's blood started boiling again, and Hermione kept whispering, "Remember our plan!" in his ear to keep him calm.

Malfoy laughed gleefully and he too, turned to Ginny and said,

"Tell me Weasley, do you really fantasize about Potter every night? Do you get your jollies from looking at his pictures?"

Everyone who was listening gasped loudly – they knew Malfoy had gone too far. Several things happened at once: Harry, Ron, Hermione and Lee Jordan jumped on Malfoy. Crabbe, Goyle and Blaise Zabini jumped on Harry, Ron, Hermione and Lee. Ginny burst into tears and ran out the Hall. Harry was about to knee Goyle in the groin when he spotted Ginny, and ran after her.

"Ginny, wait!" he called out, but Ginny kept running.

He chased her all the way up the marble staircase, where people parted to let them through; all the way up the second floor and through the third floor; and when she came to Gryffindor Tower, she ran out of breath and collapsed on the ground. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed quietly. Harry approached her, out of breath, and sat down next to her.

"Ginny – "

"Leave me alone!" She tried to push Harry away, but Harry grabbed her arm, and to both their surprise, Harry pulled her close to him and hugged her – tight. Ginny tried to struggle free, but Harry only held her tighter. He felt an overwhelming need to protect her. Finally, Ginny gave up the struggle and sobbed in Harry's shirt. Harry patted her awkwardly on the head and said soothingly, "Sshh…it's OK Gin. We'll get back at Malfoy, I promise." He rested his chin on her head and stroked her hair.

How long they clung to each other, he had no idea. He just suddenly became aware of footsteps drawing nearer, and identical voices saying, "What happened?" "Is Ginny OK?"

Fred and George approached them, looking both angry and concerned. Ginny and Harry abruptly pulled away from each other, both blushing up to their hairline, but for the first time ever, Fred and George didn't make any comments. Harry stood up, pulling Ginny with him.

"It was Malfoy," Harry said quietly. He quickly told the twins about the blackboard incident, and added, " and he said really nasty stuff to Ginny down at the Hall." Harry didn't want to tell Fred and George exactly what Malfoy had said in front of Ginny, who looked upset enough as it was. Fred looked scandalized, while George moved to embrace Ginny.

"Harry, remember what we said to you in the start-of-term feast?" Fred said to Harry in a serious tone.

"Yeah, well, about that – " Harry said, remembering to get Fred and George's help.

" – Well I think it's time we tested our inventions." Fred looked over at George, who nodded in a silent agreement.

"Meet us in our dorm at 7 o'clock tonight, Harry," Fred said.

*

Harry had to endure the snickers that followed him for the rest of the day. He was lucky, however, that he had Ron and Hermione by his side to distract him. He felt sorry for Ginny, who only had Colin Creevey to console her. Colin had been following her around all day, walking with her to lessons, trying to cheer her up. Harry was privately amused when Ron had said, "If he makes a move on her, I'll kill him!" Harry himself had wondered whether Colin had other motives for consoling

Ginny, and the thought irritated him.

When Harry opened the door of his Charms class, he silently braced himself for what might be waiting for him on the board, but to his huge relief, the board was blank. Flitwick was already in the room, preparing for the lesson. When he saw Harry, Ron and Hermione walk in, he squeaked delightedly and said to Harry, "So, young Harry, what's all this I've been hearing about you, eh?" Ron and Hermione shuffled embarrassedly on their feet, while Harry nervously tried to avoid Flitwick's eyes. He could feel his face burning again.

"Nothing, I hope," he mumbled glumly.

Flictwick smiled kindly at Harry, and said gently, "You've got nothing to be embarrassed about, my boy. Young Miss Weasley is a beautiful girl."

Ron coughed noisily behind him, and Hermione nudged Ron in the ribs and gave him a stern look. Harry felt extremely uncomfortable. It was lucky they were the only ones in the class.

"Er…there's nothing going on between us," Harry said quickly. He stole a glance at Ron, who was glaring at him. Flitwick ignored Harry.

"Ah…young love…" he said, his face taking on a dreamy expression. "I remember when I was your age, and there was this girl…" But Harry never found out about Flitwick's girl, for at that moment, the rest of the class walked in, and Ron quickly pulled Harry right to the back of the classroom, where they wouldn't have to listen to Flitwick reminisce about his youth.

Harry watched Ron out of the corner of his eye. Ron was in a bad mood throughout the lesson, and Harry had a feeling this had something to do with Ginny.

*

"What've we got next?" Harry asked Ron grimly, who consulted his timetable.

"Damn! We've got Trelooney," Ron said disappointedly.

"That woman is more than a loon, if you ask me," Hermione said severely.

"Yeah, she's an ugly, old loon with giant specs."

"Just what I need, eh?" Harry said dully. "More doom and gloom."

They said goodbye to Hermione at the top of the stairs, and Harry and Ron made their way to Divination.

When they entered Trelawney's stiflingly hot room, they found the Professor sitting in the center of a large, round table, with the rest of the class sitting around her. Trelawney looked different today. She was wearing a large, lacy, pink bandanna on her head, with big, loopy gold earrings in her ears. She had her eyes closed. Her hands were propped up on the table, palms up, with her index fingers and thumbs pressed together. She looked like she was meditating.

"Come in, dears," she said in her far-away voice, without opening her eyes. "We are starting aura reading today."

Harry and Ron took the empty chairs across from her. As soon as they sat down, Trelawney began the lesson.

"Aura reading is a way of predicting a person's destiny," she said. "If the person's aura is weak, it means death is close at hand." Ron rolled his eyes at Harry, and gave Trelawney a withering look. Trelawney continued, "However, the opposite is true for a person with a strong aura." She opened her eyes and looked lazily around at them.

"I will now attempt to read one of you," she said mysteriously. "Would anyone like to volunteer?" Nobody moved. Trelawney's eyes settled on Harry. "Ah…Harry." Harry gripped the edges of his seat. Before he could protest, Trelawney's eyes rolled to the back of her head and she started chanting, "Ooohhhmm…" over and over again. Harry and Ron exchanged disgruntled looks. Ron put his finger next to his temple and wiggled it around in loops, as if to say, "What a nutcase!"

"I see something…Yes…Yes…Yes…Oh yes!" Trelawney breathed in her soft, misty voice.

"Is she alright?" Seamus asked Ron in an amused voice.

"I think she's seeing Snape in his boxer shorts," Ron replied dully.

Seamus and Dean snorted and stifled their laughter.

"I see that you are in love…" Trelawney said over Dean and Seamus' sniggering. Parvati and Lavender looked at Harry and giggled. Harry felt the hair on the back of his neck begin to prick up in embarrassment. Trelawney's eyelids were fluttering, and she continued her reading.

"But alas…nothing will ever come of your love, for – oh my goodness!" Trelawney said dramatically. "Your aura is weak. Very weak. You're love is doomed, for you will die at a young age!" Her eyes snapped open, and she looked at Harry, clutching her chest and breathing hard. Harry merely blinked back, unfazed. After a few minutes, she regained her composure and said, "Would anyone else like to volunteer?"

Ron looked at Harry disbelievingly. "What a dork!" he said. Harry burst out laughing.

*

At 7 o'clock, Harry and Ron made their way to Fred and George's dorm, leaving Hermione with Ginny in the common room.

"So, what's the story, Fred?" asked Ron, once they had shut the door behind them.

"Yeah, where've you two been all day?" Harry added.

Fred and George's dorm was very much like Harry's and Ron's, except messier. A cauldron lay upside-down in one a corner, books were scattered on the floor, and odd socks and shirts were laid in a pile next to the beds. Dirty underwear was slung over the handle of the wardrobe. It was only Fred and George in the room; their three other dorm mates weren't around.

"We've got everything set boys," Fred said. "We'll just have to sneak down to the laundry tonight and put these in the clean pile." Fred held up a set of black robes with the Slytherin crest on it, while George held up two pairs of boxers; one with yellow ducks on it and the other with humanoid turtles on it. Harry and Ron exchanged puzzled looks, and then both burst out laughing.

"What the hell are those?" Ron asked, pointing to the boxers in George's hands.

"And what are you doing with a Slytherin's robes?" Harry asked Fred. Fred and George looked at each other.

"You go first," George said, nodding to Fred.

"This here is Dracy's robes," Fred said, holding out the robes so that Harry and Ron could have a better look.

"We've been, er, improving it for the last two days."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked. There was nothing extraordinary about the way Malfoy's robes looked.

"We've enchanted it," Fred said triumphantly.

"Yeah, took us days to figure out how to do it," George added. "Enchanting inanimate objects is hard work. Take Dad's old Ford Anglia, for example. It took Dad weeks to enchant every single part of it, so that it could do whatever he wanted, and think for itself." George grinned broadly.

"And take the Sorting Hat, for another example," Fred piped in. "The Founders Four enchanted it so that it could talk. They put a bit of themselves into a piece of clothing so that it would emulate them, and make the sorts of decisions that they themselves were able to make."

"Wait a minute," Harry said, comprehension dawning in his eyes. "Are you telling me that you gave those robes your personality?"

"Right in one," Fred said.

Ron laughed hysterically. "You two are wicked!" he said. Harry's mood lifted dramatically, as he tried to imagine what Malfoy's reaction might be.

"And that's not all!" Fred said proudly. He nodded to George, and said, "Tell them, G!"

George held up the boxers he was holding. "This here is Crabbe's undies," he said, indicating to the boxers in his left hand. "And this ugly one, with whatever-the-hell is on it, is Goyle's." He held up the boxers with the turtles on it.

"They're Ninja Turtles!" Harry pointed out, laughing.

"What are they?" asked Ron.

"Muggle cartoon."

Ron, George and Fred looked at Harry blankly.

"Never mind. It's just a TV show. But come to think of it, Crabbe and Goyle do remind me of Beebop and Rocksteady!" Harry started laughing hysterically. "And Malfoy is Shredder, ha ha!" Harry doubled over from laughter. The Weasleys just stared at him, not understanding the joke.

"Riiight," said Ron slowly. "That one's lost it." He turned to George, "I wonder what Goyle's doing with Muggle boxers, eh?"

"Don't know," George shrugged. "But being in Slytherin, it can't be good. You know how Slytherins detest all things Muggle."

"Maybe Goyle's half Muggle or something," Fred said thoughtfully.

"If he is, we should tell all the Slytherins, so they can all bash him up!" said Ron excitedly.

"Wouldn't be a bad idea," said Fred, smiling.

George cleared his throat. "Anyway, as I was saying," he said, continuing where he left off. "These undies have been enchanted too. So all we've got to do now is sneak these into the laundry, so that by tomorrow morning the elves would've delivered the clothes to their dormitory. The goons will put them on; they'll come to class, and voila! You know the rest. Let's see if Malfoy doesn't die of humiliation!" George finished triumphantly. Harry and Ron exchanged high-fives and said, "Brilliant!" at the same time. Fred and George beamed.

"But what will the clothes do?" asked Harry curiously.

"Now, Harry, that's a surprise!" George said mysteriously.

"Yeah, you'll see tomorrow!" Fred winked.

*

Harry and Ron had never been excited about going to a Potions class in all their lives. They told Hermione about their revenge plan, and she too, was unusually happy that morning.

"Lo, Potter," Malfoy greeted him sarcastically, when they walked into class. "Nice to see you're still alive, after what happened yesterday."

"Nice to see you are, Malfoy," Harry retorted.

"But not for long, though," Ron added happily.

"All right, settle down everyone. Hurry up…in your seats. Now!" The arrival of Snape abruptly put an end to their discussion. Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way to an empty desk in the corner of the room, not far from Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle.

Halfway through the lesson, somebody let out a reverberating fart. Everyone looked around instantly, looking for the culprit. Some people were giggling. Harry heard Malfoy say to Goyle, "You disgusting pig!" Goyle looked startled. "It wasn't me!" he said, protesting. More people laughed. Snape looked up from his desk, looking menacing. But before he could remark, somebody else let out another fart, which sounded like a motorbike. People were positively howling by now. Snape stood up, his eyes glinting dangerously. "Which unbelievably grotty person," he said through clenched teeth, "did that?"

Malfoy, who had edged away from Crabbe and Goyle, looked at Crabbe with raised eyebrows. "It was you wasn't it? I heard it coming from you!" Crabbe looked panicked. He vehemently shook his head, denying that he had done such a thing.

"Get yourselves to the bloody toilet!" Snape bellowed at Crabbe and Goyle. "And don't come back until that damned gas has gone." Crabbe and Goyle dejectedly got up and moved towards the door. Both the Slytherins and the Gryffindors were shaking with silent giggles. When Crabbe and Goyle reached the door, one of them let out another fart, and the whole class started laughing again.

"That was a classic!" Ron whispered to Harry and Hermione.

"Did you see the look on their faces?" Harry said smiling.

"I don't know, I kinda feel sorry for them," Hermione said thoughtfully.

"Hermione! You're ruining the moment!" an incensed Ron said. "I only have one complaint though," he added. "Why didn't Snape take points from Slytherin for that kind of behavior?"

"Ron," said Harry, "that's a stupid question."

Crabbe and Goyle never came back. Harry, Ron and Hermione kept glancing at Malfoy to see if Fred and George's enchanted robes will do anything embarrassing to him. Nothing happened, however.

"Do you think Fred and George's enchantments worked?" Ron whispered to Harry.

"Dunno," Harry said in a concerned tone. They didn't have long to wait, though.

Snape was halfway though writing the ingredients for a Flame-Repellant Potion on the board, when Harry heard Malfoy's cold, drawling voice say loudly, "Professor Snape is a big, slimy git!" Snape dropped the chalk with a loud clang. Everyone, including the Slytherins, gasped. Malfoy looked stricken. He looked around wildly, his face purpling. "Who said that?" he said.

Snape advanced on Malfoy. "What did you say?" He said in a dangerously low voice. The whole class held their breath.

"I…I didn't say anything, Professor!" a frightened Malfoy said, shrinking in his seat at the look Snape was giving him.

"I heard you insulting me, Mr. Malfoy." Snape said, inching so close to Malfoy that he was almost cross-eyed.

"I didn't say anything, I swear it, Professor!" Malfoy said in a small voice. Harry could see beads of sweat trickling down the side of Malfoy's face. He looked over at Ron, who looked ecstatic, enjoying every single moment of the scene before their eyes.

"Really?" Snape breathed. His face went red, and he looked around at the class.

"Raise your hands," he said slowly, "If you heard Mr. Malfoy insulting me." Malfoy's eyes widened, and he looked around at his fellow Slytherins with a pleading look. All the Gryffindors' hands shot up, but the Slytherins were hesitant - they were all looking at Malfoy as if he had lost his marbles.

"I said raise your hands!" Snape bellowed. Reluctantly, the Slytherins raised their hands. Malfoy was trembling.

"The jury has spoken, Mr. Malfoy," Snape said in a satisfied tone. "You have been found guilty. Half a point from Slytherin, and a week's worth of detentions."

*

"Half a point from Slytherin?" Ron said, once they were out of class. "What the hell was that all about? He took two hundred from us!" Harry was shaking his head. "Don't complain, Ron. At least he gave Malfoy detention – he's never done that before."

"Yeah, but only because Malfoy insulted him in front of the class! If Malfoy had farted, Snape wouldn't have given him detention."

"Well, look on the bright side," Harry said. "Malfoy knows nothing about the enchanted robes, so it aint over yet."

"Yeah, you're right," Ron said excitedly. "Malfoy'll have more embarrassing moments to come! Hope he gets expelled!"

"You two are unbelievable, honestly!" Hermione said, shaking her head and smiling.

"You're no fun, Hermione," Ron mocked. "We've just had the best Potions class of our lives, and you're not even happy about it!"

"I'm not saying that I'm not happy about it," Hermione protested. "I just don't think Malfoy should get expelled. That's a bit too much."

Ron rolled his eyes.

Just then, Hedwig swooped down and dropped a letter in Harry's hands. Harry unfolded it.

"Who's it from?" Ron asked.

"It's from Snuffles," Harry said, and then he suddenly went pale. "Oh no!"

Continued in chapter 4: Tears, Fears and Confessions.